In five season with Houston, Dresssen caught 105 passes for 1,323 yards and 13 touchdowns. In March 2012, Joel Dreessen signed a three-year contract with the Denver Broncos, worth $8.5 million. He played often in 2012, appearing in all 16 games and starting in all but one. His season totals were 41 catches, 356 yards and five touchdowns. Dreessen was used much more sparingly during the 2013 season, finishing with just seven catches for 47 yards and a touchdown in 13 games, none of them starts. He was a member of the Broncos team that won the AFC Championship and reached Super Bowl XLVIII.